Thursday, 16 January 2014

Doctor Who Vs. Burke & Hare

Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis portrayed the notorious 19th century serial killers, Burke and Hare in this British black comedy. David Tennant was originally cast as Hare, but was replaced by Serkis. The film was helmed by the legendary writer and director of An American Werewolf in London (Universal, 1981), John Landis.

During 1827/28, two Irish immigrants, William Burke and William Hare perpetrated seventeen murders in the West Port area of Edinburgh, and sold the corpses to the anatomy lecturer, Dr Robert Knox. The killers were only prosecuted when Hare was given immunity to implicate his accomplice. Burke was hanged in 1829. Ironically, the bodies of executed criminals were then dissected, and Burke's skeleton is still displayed at the city's Medical College. Knox never faced any criminal charges, and was forced to leave Scotland when the Anatomy Act - which outlawed 'body-snatching' - was passed in 1832.

The second film depiction of these murders (released in 2010) was shown on BBC Two on Saturday, and featured these eighteen Doctor Who cast and crew connections:

Pegg (Burke) played the Editor in The Long Game, and voiced Don Chaney for Invaders From Mars (Big Finish, 2002)

Bill Bailey (Angus) was Droxil in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe

Jessica Hynes (Lucky) was Joan Redfern in Human Nature and The Family of Blood, then (that character's great-granddaughter) Verity Newman in The End of Time, and voiced Glory Bee also for Invaders From Mars

David Schofield (Fergus) voiced Nostradamus for The Doomsday Quatrain (BF, 2011), and Billy for Death in Blackpool (BF, 2009)

Steve Spiers (Doorman) was Commissioner Strickland in Aliens of London and World War Three

Hugh Bonneville (Harrington) was Captain Henry Avery in The Curse of the Black Spot (and briefly in A Good Man Goes to War and The Wedding of River Song)

Duncan Duff (Attendant) was a Newsreader in the 2006 Cybermen story, and voiced Joe Hartley for Night Thoughts (BF, 2006)